Station-box for watchmen s electric time-detectors



2 S D R A H O I R H J STATION BOX FOR WATGHMENS TIME DETECTORS. No.409,755.

w ow m J m W W A mo u P IL! WITNESSES m (b- 1:! 53%.

N. PETERS. Pnmumn hnr, Walhinglun, ac.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES E. RICHARDS, OF CEDAR- KEYS, FLORIDA.

STATION-BOX FOR WAICHMENS ELECTRIC TIME-DETECTORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 409,755, dated August2'7, 1889.

Application filed June 1,1889. Serial No. 312,890. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAnEs E. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Cedar Keys, in the county of Levy and State ofFlorida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inStation-Boxes for lVatchmens Electric Time-Detectors, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the station-boxes of watchmenselectric timedetectors of the class set forth in the United StatesLetters Patent granted to 1ne,.dated, respectively, May 30, 1882, No.258,603, and January 2, 1883, No. 270,125, to which I refer for adescription of the parts and their operation not herein described andshown, that a clear understanding of the construction, arrangement, andoperation of the apparatus as a whole may be obtained.

As stated, this present invention relates to improvements in thestation-boxes'of such apparatus, wherebyI overcome certain obj ectionsin the station-boxes described by me in said former patents.

Among the advantages secured by mypresent invention are greatly-reducedbatterypower, avoidance of daily adjustment or application of a dial,certainty of operation, greatly-reduced cost, simplicity ofconstruction, the substitution of spring-power in a clock-movement forbattery-power operating through magnets, and the elimination of oneelectric circuit. There are other advantages not necessary to enumerate.

More particularly recited, my invention consists in the employment of aclock-movement which automatically presents at an opening in the extenalcase of the stationbox different parts of a web of paper upon which thewatchman writes his name and the time when he wrote it, as and for thepurposes set forth in my said former patents. The

clock-movement is actuated by a spring, as

usual, which is controlled by an electric current operating through anarmature and electro-magnet, the opening and closing of the circuitbeing determined by the make-andbreak-circuit time or clock apparatusfully described and illustrated in said prior patents.

In the drawings the same reference-letters refer to the same parts inall the figures.

Figure 1 illustrates a view looking into the station-box, the coverbeing open. Fig. 1 illustrates an end view of the cut-off device forsevering the paper containing a previouslymade record from the unusedweb of paper in the machine. Fig. 2 illustrates a longitudinal sectionon the line a; :0 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 illustrates a detailed View of theclock-movement and magnet, armature, &c., which control the operationthereof. Fig. t illustrates a detail of the armature an d the deviceswhich directly control the clock-movement, the magnet being dormant.Fig. 5 illustrates a View of the parts shown in Fig. 4 from a differentposition, the magnet being active. Fig. 6 illustrates a view inminiature of the stationbox as closed.

A is the case of the station-box, made of wood, metal, or such othermaterial as pre ferred. It is provided with a cover A, having a lock l3and a slot in its central portion.

D is an ordinary clock-n1ovement, which does not require specificdescription. It should preferably be a long-time movement, becausethereby care and trouble in attending to the winding of the same isreduced. A hole is made through the casing A opposite the arbor E,whereby the movement may be wound.

F is a drum, preferably made of some light material, which is attachedto the arbor E and is turned by the clock-movement. It is supported byand turns in suitable bearings G in a frame II.

I is a roll of paper supported on a spindle .I, which turns in bearingson supports K of the frame H, and I1 is a tension-roller supported onarms M, which are pivoted to the frame II, as shown.

N are springs which normally pull the tension-roller toward the drum F,thus pressing the paper which passes between the tensionroller and thedrum firmly upon the drum and causing it to move therewith.

O is another roller supported on a spindle or shaft 1, which turns inbearings on the supports Q, extending from the frame H. This rollersimply aids in holding the paper smoothly over the surface of the drumF, and also holds the paper in contact with a large part of a surface ofthe drum, thereby affording the requisite frictional contact to insurethe feeding of the paper by the drum,

R is a cutting-blade or shears attached to the under side of a sliding,block S, which moves along ways T and has retractile springs U and apivoted cam-lever V, whereby it'is caused to move forward when the leveris operated and to shear the paper off against the counter-blade \V,which is rigidly attached to the end of the frame H.

Returning now to the clock-movement, a a show an ordinaryelectro-magnet. It is energized by the current through wires 1) and b.The circuit is closed and opened by the make-and-break-circuit timeapparatus fully set forth in said prior patents, to which I refer.Either form whereof therein shown may be used, but I prefer thatdisclosed in the Patent No. 270,125, of January 2,1883.

0 is the armature.

cl is the adjusting-screw, supported on an arm e.

f is the retractile spring.

g is the pivot or axis of the armature.

h is an extension of the armature-lever. It, as shown in the drawings,extends at substantially right angles to the armature proper andprojects toward the clock-movement until its end rests adjacent to adisk 1', which is fast on the escapement-ratchet shaft This disk 2' hastwo laterally-projecting pins 7,: 7c, located opposite each other on thedisk 2', which, as hereinafter explained, engage with two .coacting pinsH, on the extended end h of the armature-lever. The pinsZ Z are set, asshown in .Figs. 4 and 5, one above the other and one a little in advanceof the other.

an is an ordinary oscillating bell-clapper attached to theescapement-shaft n of the clockmovement. It projects through aslot(shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1) made in the side of the case A, andrings a gong 0 on the exterior thereof, all as now well understood.

a is the escapement.

The operation is as follows: The clock-movement is normally held at restby the engagement of one of the pins, either or 79', of the disk 1' withor against the pin Z2'. e., the one nearest the end of the lever h ofthe armature. The electric make-and-break circuit apparatus, as setforth in my said former patents, is set each night to operate. at suchtimes as, may be desired. At each closing of the circuit the magnetbecomes energized, the armature is drawn down, the pin Z on the end ofthe armature-lever is moved away from the pin 7; or 7.3 of the disk 2',as the case may be, and the moment they cease to engage with each otherthe clock-movement starts off, ringing the bell by means of theescapement and bell-clapper, and also turning the drum, which feeds thepaper forward, uncoiling it from the paper-roll and presenting ahitherto unexposed part thereof opposite the slot in the cover of thecase. The ringing of the bell and the feeding of the paper continues.until the disk has made a half-revolution.

The pin it or k, as the case may be, which was formerly not inengagement with the pin Z of the armature-lever then comes in contactwith the pin Z of that lever, which has been moved into its path by theaction of the magnets on the armature. The duration of the time requiredfor the half-revolution of the disk will be determined by the adjustmentof the escapement more or less, as preferred, preferably about fiveseconds, and the amount of paper which will be fed forward will also bedetermined by the requirements or preferences of each case. varied,depending on the special mechanical adjustment of the parts. As soon asthe circuit is opened, the armature being no longer attracted by themagnet is retracted by its spring, and the pin of the disk which was incontact with the pin Z of the armature-lever during the time that thearmature was in contact with the magnet then slips off from the pin landimmediately comes in contact with the pin Z, which is setbelow and alittle 1n advance of the pin Zfor that purpose. The entire apparatusisthus held in its then position until the magnets are again energized.

Upon the ringing of the bells the watchman knows that he must make hisrounds and write his name and the time of his doing so on the paperpresented to him for that purpose through the slots in the severalstatlonboxes. As set forth in the said former patents, the watchman willbe called to make his rounds at such times as the make-andbreak circuitdevice is set at.

As often as desired the boxmay be opened and the lever of the cut-ofioperated, (the paper being first pulled :down sufficiently to bring thelast signature below the cut,) which will sever the paper bearing therecord from the remainder. These several pieces, being gatheredtogether, furnish the superintendent or other person in charge of theproperty with a full record of the occurrences during the period coveredby them. A die (marked a, see Fig. 1) may be arranged to impress on thepaper at the time of its severance, by a suitable action of .the movablecutting-blade against the die, the number of the stationbox. Thus noconfusion will arise if the slips of paper should become disarranged andmixed.

I do not limit myself to the details of construction shown anddescribed. They may be somewhat altered and still the essential featuresof my invention be employed.

I claim- 1. The combination, in a station-box, of an electro-magnet, anarmature-lever arranged, substantially as shown, to be automaticallyengaged and disengaged with stops on a disk or Wheel in aclock-movement, an escapemcnt, a bell-clapper actuated thereby, a bellor gong, a paper-feeding drum turned by the clock-movement, a rotatableroll of paper, means to press the paper against the feeding- Itisobvious that it may be 1 IIO drum, and a cover for the box having a slotlocated opposite the drum, all combined and operating substantially asand for the purposes set forth.

i 2. The combination, in a station-box, of an electro-magnet, anarmature-lever arranged, substantially as shown, to be automaticallyengaged and disengaged with stops on a disk or Wheel in theclock-movement, an escapement, a bell-clapper actuated thereby, a bellor gong, a papenfeeding drum turned by the clock-movement, a rotatableroll of paper, guide-rollers to confine the paper to the surface of thedrum, and a cover for the box having a slot located opposite the drum,all combined and operating substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

3. The combination, in a station-box, of an paper-severing device belowthe drum, and a cover for the box having a slot located opposite thedrum, all combined and operating substantially as and for the purposesset forth.

1. The combination, in a station-box, of an electro-magnet, anarmature-lever arranged, substantially as shown, to be automaticallyengaged and disengaged with stops 011 a disk or Wheel in theclock-movement, an escape ment, a bell or gong, a paper-feeding drumturned by the clock-movement, a rotatable roll of paper, apaper-severing device below the drum, a die the impression whereof ismade upon the paper by the operation of the severing device, and a coverfor the box hav' ing a slot located opposite the drum, substantially asset forth.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of NeWYork, this29th day of May, A. D. 1885).

. JAS. E. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

PHILLIPS ABBOTT, FREDERICK SMITH.

